Market Mantra

Posted on Monday, July 31, 2017

The hospitality sector, globally, thrives on people-management, communication skills and a passion for service. Today’s new-age hospitality industry needs talent that can deliver service quality, customer value and business goals through an integrated approach.

The Institute of Hotel Management offers?a BSc or Diploma?in hotel management. Other institutes including the Culinary Academy of India and National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management offer specialised courses in F&B production, culinary art and catering.??

SKILL-SET

Soft skills are essential in the hospitality sector. Students who wish to make a career in the field must have a positive attitude and a cheerful disposition, the ability to deal with unpleasant situations and keep calm. With greater technology adoption to aid hoteliers as well as guests, professionals in the field must have technological acumen too. Soft skills help strengthen emotional engagement and connection, which is also essential in the business, while technology aids and enables guest interactions and timely assistance, complementing the overall experience.

SCOPE

Rising global growth in travel and tourism has increased the scope of employment to a wide spectrum of job seekers – from the unskilled and semi-skilled to the specialised professionals, even in remote parts of the country. As per the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, there was 15.5% growth in domestic tourist visits to Indian states during 2016 as compared to 2015. Tourist numbers increased to 1,653 million in 2016 compared to 1,432 million in 2015. The sector is estimated to have directly contributed $47 billion to GDP in 2016. The travel and tourism industry directly contributes to the GDP growth and is expected to grow at 7.2% per annum between 2015 and 2025 and is likely to contribute around $160 billion by 2026.

JOB PROFILES

The hotel industry has different job profiles and verticals. Fresh graduates can look for profiles of a hostess, steward, front office assistant, guest relations executive and counter sales executive to start with. Other profiles include jobs in the HR, sales, reservations, front office, housekeeping and production departments.

NEW TRENDS

The travel and hospitality sector in India is witnessing increasing incidences of impulse planning, both within leisure and business segments. This puts the onus on service providers to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery regardless of the turnaround time. On the business side, the hospitality field has a growing demand for professionals with "blended" skill sets – both hi-tech and high-touch.

REMUNERATION

The remuneration depends on the industry and experience of an individual. There are numerous opportunities available once a person completes a diploma or degree course in hotel management. Starting salaries can range from?Rs 7,000 to 10,000 per month. As one grows in the role or industry, s/he can command a higher salary commensurate with experience and expertise.